Car-step.



A. FULLER.

CAR STEP. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 2, 1914.

1, 146,559. Patented July 13, 1915.

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A. FULLER.

CAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 2, I914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

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ANDERSON FULLER, OF AlVIfiTERDAM, NEW YORK.

can-STEP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Axnnnsox FULLER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Amsterdam, in the county ofMontgomery and State of New York, have invented'new and usefulImprovements in Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification.

lhis invention relates to extensible car steps and it consists in thenovel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide in combination with a set ofsteps permanently fixed with relation to the body of a car an extensiblestep movably mounted with relation to the fixed steps and means formoving the extensible step.

In one form of the invention the body of the car is provided with a dooradapted to close a door opening above the fixed steps and the meanswhich operate the movable step is connected with the said door foropening and shutting the same. Also means is provided in combinationwith the step moving means for sounding or giving a sig nal to indicatethat the extensible step has been extended with relation to the fixedsteps and is in position for the passengers to pass over the same.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the endportion of a car having the extensible step applied thereto. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the forward portion of a car showingthestep in position. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the forward portion ofa car and the step. Fig. 4: is a detailed sectional view of a portion ofa car showing a modified arrangement of the step in elevation.

The car body 1 is provided with a set of fixed steps 2 of the usualcharacter. Guides 3 are mounted on the sides of the fixed steps 2 andslidably receive brackets 1 which carry at their lower end portions astep 5. lhe step 5 and the brackets 1 attached thereto constitute thestep which is referred to throughout this specification as theextensible step inasmuch as the said step 5 is movable with relation tothe steps 2. Hangers 6 depend from the body 1 of the car and a shaft 7is journaled in the said hanger. Arms 8 are fixed to the shaft 7 and areprovided in the vicinity of their outer ends with slots 9 which receiveout-standing pins 10 mounted at the upper ends of the brackets 1. An arm11 is also fixed to the shaft 7 and one end of a spring 13 is con-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. October 2, 1914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Serial No. senses.

nected with the arm 11 and the other end of the said spring is attachedto the body 1 of the car as best illustrated in 1 of the drawing. Thespring 12 is under tension with a tendency to hold the free end of thearm 11 toward point of attachment whereby the said spring 12 isconnected to the body of the car 1. Another arm 13 is fixed to the shaft7 and chain sections 11 connect the arm 13 with the lower portion of thebrackets at as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The spring 12acting through the arms 11, 18 and the shaft 7 together with the chainsserve as means for returning the step 5 to a closed or collapsedposition with relation to the steps 2.

The car body 1 is provided above the fixed steps 2 with a door openingat the side edge of which is mounted a door 15. in the form of theinvention as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the shaft 16 upon which the door15 is mounted is provided at its lower end with a crank arm 17 and therod 18 operatively connects the crank arm 17 with the upper end portionof the arm 19 mounted upon the shaft 7. A shaft 20 is journaled at theforward portion of the car body 1 and is provided at its lower end withan arm 21 to which is pivotally connected one end of a rod 22. The otherend of the rod 22 is pivotally connected to the arm 17 as best shown inFigs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. A handle 24: is pivotally connected tothe upper end of the shaft 20 as shown in Fig. 2.

Therefore it will be seen that when it is desired to extend the step 5with relation to the steps 2 an operator grasps the handle 24 and swingsthe same to a horizontal position as shown in heavy line in Fig. 2. Byusing the handle 2% the shaft 20 is carried whereby the rod 22 is movedlongitudinally and the shaft 16 is turned thus moving the door 15 from aclosed to an open position with relation to the door opening in the bodyof the car 1. At the same time the movement on the part of the arm 17moves the rod 18 longitudinally and swings the arm 19 whereby the shaft7 is turned and the arm 8 moved in a downward direction and the brackets4: are moved downwardly through the guides 8 and the step 5 is carriedto extended position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 withrelation to the fixed steps 2. Thus at the time that the door 15 isopened the step 5 is extended with relation to the steps 2 and it isobvious that when the operation just above described is reversed thedoor is closed and the step 5 is moved from an t.,; extended to a closedposition with relation to the steps 2. As the door 15 and the step 5 aremoved to a closed or collapsed position the spring 12 assists in thereturn movement and also serves as means for holding the parts in closedposition when not in use.

In the form of the device as found in Fig. 4 of this drawing the rod 22is connected directly with the arm 19 upon the shaft 7 and in this formof the invention no door is provided at the upper end of the set ofsteps 2 but the shaft 20 is connected more directly with the shaft 7than is the case in the form of arrangement shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 3 of the drawing is illustrated an alarm which is operative inconjunction with the extensible step. The alarm comprises a bell whichis connected by means of a wire 26 with a battery 27 A wire 28 connectsthe battery 27 with a contact 29 and a contact 30 is mounted upon theshaft 20 and is adapted to engage the contact 29 when the shaft 20 isturned. The wire 31 connects the shaft 20 with the bell 25 andconsequently it will be seen that when the shaft 20 is turned to lowerthe extensible step the contact 30 is and thereby the bell 25 is soundedand a signal is given for the passengers to pass over the same.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is In combinationwith a car body having a set of fixed steps, an extensible step movablymounted with relation to the fixed steps, a

shaft journaled upon the car body, means operatively connecting theshaft with the extensible step, spring means for returning theextensible step to a closed position with relation to the fixed steps, adoor hingedly mounted upon the car body and adapted to serve as abarrier for the steps, means mounted upon the car body for swinging thedoor and means operatively connecting the door with the said shaftwhereby the door is closed by the action of the spring means when theextensible step is closed by the spring means with relation to the fixedsteps. In testimony whereof I, affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ANDERSON FULLER. Witnesses:

JAMES W. FERGUSON, CLARA I. RAwDoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. C.

